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Microsoft is the biggest player in the UK online travel industry with the continued success of its Expedia service

Traditional High Street travel shops can't afford to ignore the digital revolution Expedia promises the availability of hundreds of thousands of flights for booking online and 75,000 package holidays. Information is updated every 20 minutes so that £99 week in Majorca is still there when you try to buy it. The service gives official published airfares next to ones at bucket-shop prices. It has the equivalent of 32 volumes of travel guides on its Website and 360-degree views of major tourist attractions. There are car hire and hotel booking services and the same level of security that has seen the US version avoid a single slip-up in its two-year history, according to the company. High Street shops under threat Expedia could lead to a major shake-up in the UK online market. But, in the long run, it could do more damage to the traditional High Street travel agent by boosting consumer confidence and awareness of the advantages of buying over the Internet. At present, most people still prefer to buy their holidays face to face with their travel agent. But 25% are now booking by telephone, 10% use teletext, while less than 1% are using the Internet. Those figures are expected to change dramatically over the next five years, with the growth of Net usage and interactive television entering the equation. Travel is e-commerce leader Breakwell: Travel is e-commerce No.1 The travel business is the largest electronic commerce category with around 40 per cent of the market. "We reckon that by 2002 e-commerce in Europe will be worth about £16bn," says Simon Breakwell, head of MSN Expedia International, "We reckon that travel will be thirty to fifty per cent of that market." In the US, Expedia has been growing at 250 per cent a year, with $7m in sales every week and the millionth ticket recently sold. The UK is the fourth-largest travel market in the world after the US, Germany and Japan and British companies are seeing a quick uptake of their own online services. Flightbookers, based on London's Tottenham Court Road, is currently seeing business growing at 20 per cent a month on its Website. It was launched as far back as 1996 and Net sales are perhaps 10% of its overall business, with telesales taking up more than 80 per cent and the rest coming from customers visiting its handful of shops. Ruttonsha: Expedia will expand market "Expedia has very deep pockets, which other online booking services don't have," says Firdaus Ruttonsha, managing director of Flightbookers. "Expedia is a threat to the industry as a whole, but a greater threat to those travel agents that are not so far advanced with e-commerce. But it will give the online business greater credibility and expand the market for us." Abta warns of extinction The annual meeting of the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) was told last week that a revolution was coming in the way holidays were booked. High Street travel agents who do not excel in what they do may not survive the competition, warned holiday company chief Warren Sandral. And the managing director of the Airtours package holiday firm, Chris Mottershead, said: "We have to take every opportunity to sell our products. Those who bury their head in the sand will simply wither in the heat of the battle they don't have the wit to compete in." Expedia 'not a category killer' Graham Barnes, chairman of the IT consultant to the travel industry ABTECH told News Online by e-mail: Microsoft have very deep pockets and are investing heavily in the hope that Expedia will be one of the 'category killers' that Americans love. It won't be. It may give a return on investment eventually but category killers and the Internet don't mix. The same person may buy a flight via Teletext, a city break from a kiosk, a summer holiday from a High Street agency and a business flight on the Internet at different times. The Internet has cut out the middleman and it has certainly put their added value under scrutiny. original source BBC News

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Egypt's Red Sea is a glorious destination. Like Morocco it's near enough to be accessible but exotic enough to be completely different. At a Red Sea resort you can scuba in warm waters, trek into the desert on a camel or even drink tea with the Bedouin - all only 5 hours away from the UK.

Hurghada What it's like: Deep blue seas and endless coral reefs. If you can peel yourself away from the beach mingle with the locals in Hurghada Town. What to do: The Red Sea is a world-famous diving location but you can also see the stunning fish and coral reefs while snorkelling or in a glass-bottomed boat. If you prefer to stay on top of the water there's plenty of windsurfing and for land-lubbers there's horse riding. Further afield: Take a trip down the ancient and evocative Nile. Try to fit in a trip to the Karnak Temple at Luxor. Sharm-el-Sheikh What it's like: An incredible location right on the Red Sea at the edge of the Sinai Desert. The old town is alive with life at its bazaars and local shops. What to do: Dive in the justly famed Ras Mohamed National Park, trek into the desert on a camel or enjoy an afternoon's sailing. Further afield: Experience a vibrant evening of Egyptian food and folklore with the Bedouin in the desert, or take a trip to Mount Sinai itself.

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Travel Precautions

People in their home environment live in a state of equilibrium with the locally occurring strains of microorganisms and with the altitude and climatic conditions of the region. However, this is an unstable equilibrium that can be upset even in the home environment by factors such as the arrival of an unfamiliar microorganism, seasonal changes in climate and unusually stressful situations. The many physical and environmental changes encountered during international travel may upset this equilibrium to an even greater extent: sudden exposure to significant changes in altitude, humidity, microbial flora and temperature, exacerbated by stress and fatigue, may result in ill-health and an inability to achieve the purpose of the journey. The risks associated with international travel are influenced by characteristics of the traveller (including age, sex and health status) and by characteristics of the travel (including destination, purpose and duration).
Forward planning, appropriate preventive measures and careful precautions can substantially reduce the risks of adverse health consequences. Although the medical profession and the travel industry can provide a great deal of help and advice, it is the traveller's responsibility to ask for information, to understand the risks involved, and to take the necessary precautions for the journey.

Travel-related risks

Destinations where accommodation, hygiene and sanitation, medical care and water quality are of a high standard pose relatively few serious risks for the health of travellers, unless there is pre-existing illness. This applies to business travellers and tourists visiting most major cities and tourist centres and staying in good-quality accommodation. In contrast, destinations where accommodation is of poor quality, hygiene and sanitation are inadequate, medical services do not exist, and clean water is unavailable may pose serious risks for the health of travellers. This applies, for example, to personnel from emergency relief and development agencies or tourists who venture into remote areas. In these settings, stringent precautions must be taken to avoid illness.
The duration of the visit and the behaviour and lifestyle of the traveller are important in determining the likelihood of exposure to many infectious agents and will influence decisions on the need for certain vaccinations or anti malarial medication. The duration of the visit may also determine whether the traveller may be subjected to marked changes in temperature and humidity during the visit, or to prolonged exposure to atmospheric pollution.
The purpose of the visit is critical in relation to the associated health risks. A business trip to a city, where the visit is spent in a hotel and/or conference centre of high standard, or a tourist trip to a well-organized resort, involves fewer risks than a visit to remote rural areas, whether for work or pleasure. However, behaviour also plays an important role; for example, going outdoors in the evenings in a malaria-endemic area without taking precautions may result in the traveller becoming infected with malaria. Exposure to insects, rodents or other animals, infectious agents and contaminated food and water, combined with the absence of appropriate medical facilities, makes travel in many remote regions particularly hazardous.

Medical consultation before travel

Travellers intending to visit a destination in a developing country should consult a travel medicine clinic or medical practitioner before the journey. This consultation should preferably take place 4–6 weeks before the journey, particularly if vaccination may be required. However, last-minute travellers can also benefit from a medical consultation, even as late as the day before travel. This consultation will determine the need for any vaccinations and/or anti malarial medication, as well as any other medical items that the traveller may require. A basic medical kit will be prescribed or provided, supplemented as appropriate to meet individual needs.
A dental check-up is advisable before travel to developing countries or prolonged travel to remote areas. This is particularly important for people with chronic or recurrent dental problems.

Medical kit and toilet items

Sufficient medical supplies should be carried to meet all foreseeable needs for the duration of the trip.
A medical kit should be carried for all destinations where there may be significant health risks, particularly those in developing countries, and/or where the local availability of specific medications is not certain. This kit will include basic medicines to treat common ailments, first-aid articles, and any special medical items that may be needed by the individual traveller.
Certain categories of prescription medicine should be carried together with a medical attestation, signed by a physician, certifying that the traveller requires the medication for personal use. Some countries require not only a physician but also the national health administration to sign this certificate.
All medicines should be carried in the hand luggage to minimize any risk of loss during the journey. A duplicate supply carried in the checked luggage is a safety precaution in case of loss or theft.
Toilet items should also be carried in sufficient quantity for the entire visit unless their availability at the travel destination is assured. These will include items for dental care, eye care including contact lenses, skin care and personal hygiene.